What solutions do government and opposition parties have for long-term health funding and planning?
The House of Lords Committee on the Long-Term Sustainability of the NHS will next week take evidence from a star line-up of witnesses including Health Secretary The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, the Chief Executive of NHS England, Simon Stevens and the health spokespeople for the Labour Party, the SNP and the Liberal Democrats.
The full day of sessions is the penultimate day of evidence taking by the Committee ahead of the publication of its report which is expected in March.
The sessions will start at 10.05am on Tuesday 13 December in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords. The full schedule of evidence session is:
10.05am:
- Simon Stevens, Chief Executive, NHS England
11.30am:
- Dr Sarah Wollaston MP, Chair, House of Commons Health Select Committee
3.05pm:
- Mr Jon Ashworth MP, Shadow Secretary of State of Health, Labour
- The Rt Hon Norman Lamb MP, Spokesperson for Health, Liberal Democrats
- Dr Philippa Whitford MP Shadow Westminster Group Leader (Health), SNP
4.00pm:
- The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Health, UK Government
In the first session with Simon Stevens the Committee will explore whether the devolved model in Manchester is the future for the NHS, how to ensure the NHS has enough skilled staff to meet future healthcare needs and what single change would make it easier for him, as Chief Executive of NHS England, to deliver effective healthcare over the next 30 years.
Dr Sarah Wollaston MP will be asked about the work of the House of Commons Health Select Committee and how the pressure placed on the NHS by underfunded social care services can be reduced and what more could be done on prevention to relieve pressure on the NHS.
The session with opposition health spokespeople will focus on their parties' approach to health funding, whether they would support steps to protect NHS long-term planning from the vagaries of political circumstances and changes of government and the importance of mental health services in NHS long-term planning.
The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP will be asked about funding pressures in the NHS and whether he accepts that funding will have to increase considerably over the longer term, accusations that he has failed to address the negative impact that pressures in social care are having on the NHS and what he thinks a ‘fit for purpose' NHS in 2030 will look like.
